As a single person,
you're more likely to be social, enjoy some restorative alone
time, spend time on leisure, and reap some health rewards, among
other things.

There is, however, a "but" coming.

Some research shows that, as with most things, there is a
downside to being single.

Here are five ways being single can harm your success:

Single people could be missing out on some happiness

source

Flickr/Ramakrishna Reddy Y

A recent study on
marital satisfaction released by the National Bureau of Economic
Research and
previously reported on by Business Insider suggests that the
happiest people are those who are married to their best friends.
And, controlling for pre-marital happiness, the study concluded
that, overall, marriage leads to increased well-being.

The authors concluded that partners can provide each other with a
unique kind of social support and help each other overcome some
of life's biggest challenges.

Being single results in a pay penalty for men

source

Dan Moyle/flickr

A
recent study conducted by W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the
National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, and
Robert Lerman, an economics professor at American University,
suggests that men see smaller salaries when they're single
compared to their married counterparts.

According to the study results, single men between 28 and 30
years old earn around $15,900 less per year in individual income
compared to their married counterparts, while single men between
44 and 46 years old make $18,800 less than married men of the
same ages.

According to the BLS data the Atlantic writers looked at, single
women spent 7.9% of their annual income on their health, compared
to couples who spent on average 6.9%.

And when it came to housing, single people tended to pay more:
While married couples spent on average 23.9% of their annual
income on housing, single men spent 30.3% and single women spent
39.8%.

By combining resources and splitting costs, married people have
the edge on all kinds of day-to-day expenses in addition to rent
or mortgage: One cable bill, one utilities bill, and shared
groceries can all lead to big savings.

Single women tend to work more hours than married women

source

Flickr/Startup Stock Photos

The
study authors at the National Marriage Project also found
that young single women work 196 hours more than do their married
peers, though this number becomes negligible when their married
peers have no children. And middle-aged single women work 131
more hours than their married counterparts, unless their peers
are childless.

Single people tend not to live as long

source

REUTERS/ Christian Hartmann

Even though various studies point to the positive effect your
single status can have on your health - single people
tend to exercise more and are less likely
to be overweight or obese - other studies conclude that married
people
live longer than their single counterparts.